Five years ago today, I was in Cambodia with a group from Methodist Theological School in Ohio. This group spent two weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia for a cross-cultural immersion.
When I start any trip, as a way to reflect daily, I make room in 3 pages these prompts:
· First Time
· Person of the Day
· Kodak Moments
This is a practice I started as a teenager thanks to the coaching of a mentor. I have found this way to reflect and remember on trips so meaningful that I encourage others to do some sort of daily reflection practice too. Hence the "Pro Tip" post.
How often do you go on a trip and return home with many stories to share or find yourself unable to fully articulate your experience? This idea is one way to tangibly share your story with others.
I do believe we need to evolve Kodak Moments to “Insta Moments” thanks to social media. While pictures can be taken, I've found the most meaningful moments are ones that I don’t want to pull out my device for, but I'm able to capture it just by being fully present. Those are the moments I try to capture on my page at the end of each day.
As an example, below are my Insta Moments from Cambodia and Vietnam. While there were more Insta Moments that wrote down, I choose one a day to share with others.
Insta Moment #1 in South Korea
Unexpectedly, the trip started out with the group being split up on an “Amazing Race” sort of journey to see who would be the first to Vietnam. Luckily for the last group, MTSO didn’t eliminate and send them home. My team, who won by the way, had a detour and overnight stay in South Korea. While I was able to read “Deep and Wide” by Andy Stanley, I will never forget being serenated by a duo singing “Endless Love” MULITPLE times throughout the wait at the airport. It’s too bad the power that be couldn’t dim or turn off the lights to prove that “friends can listen to Endless Love in the dark!”
Insta Moment #2 in Vietnam
Our first official stop on the immersion in Vietnam. We talked into the empty church were we could hear the soft melody of the organ and the birds (that probably live in the building). These sounds drowned out the sounds of the street and and construction as we wondered about the space. It wasn't until I sat down that I noticed the sounds of the street and construction.
There was a peace here as the team worked to collect ourselves and find our center in the midst of long travel days.
Insta Moment #3 in Vietnam
Our first dinner in Vietnam was at Seasons of Hanoi. The conversation that ensued between Ben and John is one I won't soon forget. John patiently tried to teach Ben how to use chopsticks and after the first bite of food, Ben proclaimed, "This tastes just like P.F. Chang's!" John just hung his head.
This was also the first, but not the last, time that people asked if Dr. Park and John were father and son. Lots of opportunities for us all to learn.
Insta Moment #4 in Vietnam
Witnessing any and all things carried on bikes and motorbikes. Texting while motorbiking (bottom right) might be even more dangerous in Vietnam.
Insta Moment #5 in Vietnam
We passed two young people playing a version of hackie sack and Mark joined in. This was the first interaction that we were able to connect with people we met on the street despite the language barrier.
Insta Moment #6 in Vietnam
After our first dinner in Hanoi, John kept to himself and I nick named him “The Elusive John Ma.” While at Friendship Village, John made a friend during our time there making John came out of his shell.
Friendship Village focuses on reconciliation as they care for children and adults who suffer from the legacy of war. It acts as a living community and has 10 family houses, a health center, school, professional education classes, kitchen, organic fruit and vegetable gardens, and ponds for animals and fish.
Insta Moment #7 in Vietnam
While waiting for our flight to Cambodia, Caleb was able to use his Japanese language skills to entertain others with what he calls “old man jokes.”
Insta Moment #8 in Cambodia – NOT PICTURED
I was the first of the group to “go down” with getting sick. One of the destinations I was most looking forward to was visiting Angkor Wat. Knowing I was sick, I tried to rally and push through but was unsuccessful and missed one of the Wonders of the World. Ironically, that night the group went to a buffet that made multiple group members sick.
Insta Moment #9 in Cambodia and Vietnam
One of my goals after the first day in Vietnam was to get on one of the motorbikes. This was my way of bucking the "institutional cultural immersion" and go an unplanned, unpolished one - or backdoor tour that most tourists don't go on. My friend, Mark, told me it would never happen. Not only did it happen in Vietnam but it also happened in Cambodia! At the beginning of the ride, I panicked and regretted my decision. By the end, I felt like a pro and wasn’t even holding on. This experience also allowed me to visit one of our host's homes and families.
Insta Moment #10 in Cambodia
It isn’t often when you get to see the process of making products such as silk scarves, place settings, napkins, etc. We visited Artisan Angkor, a company committed to fair trade practices. In fact, the workers we met make more than school teachers in the area!
Insta Moment #11 in Cambodia
While visiting a Cambodia United Methodist Church we learned that 60% of Cambodia’s population is under 30. So this church is primarily made up of children and young adults. While the children were singing, some of the young adults were cheering them on in the back.
Insta Moment #12 in Cambodia
Not only did we visit one church, we visited multiple churches during our stay in Cambodia. One of the days was 16 hours visiting remote, rural churches. While waiting for lunch, the group was getting restless so I pulled out my “list” of 30 questions to engage the group as a way to take their focus off their waiting and hunger. After lunch, some random guy sat next to me on the bus and said, “Can we continue the questions?” That random guy ended up being a great friend after that day.
Insta Moment #13 in Cambodia –
One of the sites we visited was an after-school program for children. This ministry is supported by the United Methodist Church and one of the activities the children engaged with was dancing. They were all too willing to show off their skills and invite us to join in.
Insta Moment #14 in Cambodia
The last night, the group shared reflections of our experiences over dinner. The dinner ended with recreating Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” painting to commemorate the two week experience together.
Insta Moment #15 in Cambodia
The moment when I became Dr. Park’s favorite student and random guy, turned friend, Caleb, became Dr. Park’s second favorite student. He also told us we were responsible for his sabbatical.
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